Sweet Time in Seconds (A Sweet Cove Mystery Book 11)

by J A Whiting

  “Is there anyone who might have given Jeremy a ride to Sweet Cove?” Angie kept her eyes on Tara’s expression.

  Tara’s brow furrowed. “I can’t imagine who would do that. His friend, Joe, works. I had to work. If he was planning a day off, he would have told the dental office he wouldn’t be in. Jeremy isn’t like that. He doesn’t just take off. He’s responsible, reliable. He’d tell someone if he had plans to come down here, he wouldn’t just up and leave.”

  “What were his younger years like?” Jenna asked. “I understand he was estranged from his parents?”

  Tara’s face hardened. “Jeremy’s home life was terrible. His father was always beating him up. His parents are both drunks. They take drugs, at least they did. He hasn’t been in touch with them for years. I never met them. I don’t know how Jeremy turned out normal with a family like that. The things he told me.” Tara’s lips were held in a tight, thin line as she shook her head.

  “Did he have any siblings?” Angie asked.

  “He had a brother, Matt. He was about ten years older. Jeremy said his brother took off when Jeremy was about eight years old and he never saw or heard from him again. He had no idea where Matt ended up.”

  “A sad life,” Jenna acknowledged. “But Jeremy must be very resilient since he went on to school and studied for a career.”

  Tara gave a nod and almost smiled. “He was. He was strong and he knew he wanted a better life than he’d had as a kid.”

  “You’re a nurse?” Angie asked.

  “I’m a nurse practitioner.”

  “Do you have family in New Hampshire?”

  “I don’t. I was an only child. My mother passed away shortly after I graduated from college. I was happy she saw me finish. I went on for a master’s degree. I met Jeremy while I was studying for the master’s.”

  “So Jeremy was working for his hygienist license when you were working on your master’s degree?” Angie was trying to piece together a timeline.

  “Right,” Tara said. “We met at the end of our programs. Jeremy had a bunch of jobs after high school. He worked as a painter, carpenter’s assistance, truck driver. He decided to go for dental hygiene because it wouldn’t take as long as a four-year degree. He didn’t have a lot of money and he was averse to taking loans. He wanted a professional career and the dental license was a good fit for him.”

  “How old was he when he started the program?” Jenna asked.

  “He was twenty, almost twenty-one.”

  “Are you older than he was?”

  “I’m two years older than Jeremy.”

  “He worked at a different office before moving to Dr. Chase and Dr. Streeter’s practice?” Angie questioned.

  Tara reached for a cookie. “He worked for about five years at a different office. Dr. Chase and Dr. Streeter’s office was closer to home and larger and Jeremy was looking for a place where he could advance. He was always talking about going back to school to get his bachelor’s degree and then going to dental school. I don’t know if it would have happened or not. Jeremy was always worried about money. I told him I’d support us while he went back to his studies, but he was reluctant to do that. Stability and security were important to him and he was afraid not to have a job. If he had tons of savings, he would have gone back to school in a second.”

  “Did you have plans to marry?” Jenna asked.

  The question seemed to take Tara by surprise. “We didn’t, no.”

  “Do you think that down the line you would have married?”

  “I … I don’t know. I guess time would have answered that.” Tara lifted her glass to her lips.

  Angie jumped in. “Did Jeremy have a girlfriend prior to your relationship?”

  Tara looked dumbfounded. “Why does that matter?”

  “Just to put his life in context.” Angie was deliberately evasive.

  “I don’t know.” Tara almost pouted.

  Angie and Jenna both thought it was hard to believe that Tara didn’t know Jeremy’s dating history.

  “He never mentioned anything about dating other women?” Angie persisted.

  Tara shifted on her seat. “We didn’t think it was productive to talk about our previous dating experiences.”

  “You mentioned a friend of Jeremy’s, someone named Joe.” Jenna asked quickly because she got the impression that Tara might end their interview.

  “Yes,” Tara said. “They both love cars. They got together once in a while.”

  “Where does Joe work?”

  Tara lifted an eyebrow. “He works at an auto body shop.”

  “Do you know the name of the place?” Angie smiled encouragingly.

  “Top Shop.” Tara gave Angie a slightly annoyed look and, anticipating the next question, she said, “It’s in New Hampshire. In Miltonville, where we live.”

  “What’s Joe’s last name?” Angie kept her voice even.

  “Winkler.”

  “How long had Joe and Jeremy known each other?” Jenna asked.

  “I’m not sure,” Tara said dismissively.

  “Were they friends when you started dating?”

  “Yes, they were.”

  “Are the men close in age?”

  “I’d say so.” Tara gave a curt nod. “They’re both in their late twenties.”

  Angie couldn’t put her finger on what was bothering her about the conversation with Tara. Something seemed off, but the sensation was vague and she wasn’t able to figure out what was picking at her.

  “Are you staying in Sweet Cove for a few days?” Jenna asked.

  Tara sat straighter with a pleased look on her face. “Chief Martin asked if I would stay for two or three days. They’ll be able to release Jeremy’s body to me then. I’m staying at the Sweet Cove Resort. The police department was nice enough to pick up the tab.” She picked a tiny piece of lint from her skirt.

  The cats stared at the young woman.

  “Do you have any questions about Jeremy’s death that we haven’t discussed?” Angie asked.

  Again, a little flash of annoyance passed over Tara’s face and when she spoke, her voice sounded hard. “Just the same questions you have. Why was Jeremy down here? Why didn’t he tell me he was coming down? Who killed him? It’s very upsetting.”

  Giving a little nod of her head, Angie wore a sympathetic expression. “Can you think of anyone who would want Jeremy dead?”

  “Of course not.” Tara raised her voice when she said the words.

  Angie asked gently, “Can we get in touch with you at the resort if we have more questions?”

  “Why would you have more questions?” Tara demanded.

  “Things come up during a case,” Angie told her. “Things that need to be clarified. It’s standard operating procedure, that’s all.”

  “I suppose so. If you have to.” Tara pushed her hair back over her ear. “It’s difficult talking about Jeremy so please only contact me if it’s very important.” Standing up, she thanked Angie and Jenna for the refreshments.

  “I’m sorry we had to meet under trying circumstances,” Angie told her.

  Mr. Finch came out of the house wearing his apron from the candy shop and walked over to greet the three women. “I just left the candy store for the day.” He smiled at Tara. “Hello, I’m Mr. Finch, a friend of the family.” He extended his hand to shake.

  Tara kept her hand by her side. “Sorry. I hurt my wrist and thumb recently so I’m not able to shake. The doctor said I have to baby it for a while. But, nice to meet you.” Tara said goodbye and headed across the lawn to the driveway hurrying to where she’d left her car.

  “I hoped I’d get back in time to sit in on the interview.” Finch watched the woman back out of the driveway and then he turned to Angie and Jenna with a raised eyebrow. “Too bad I couldn’t shake hands with the young woman.”

  “Yes,” Angie said. “It is too bad. We could have used some more information about Tara.”

  “She didn’t seem too broken up about Je
remy.” Jenna eyed her sister with a frown.

  “I agree. I also get the impression she likes the attention the police are giving her.” When Angie sank back down on the chair, Circe jumped up on her lap and growled low in her throat.

  “You didn’t care for our visitor, little one?” Angie asked the black cat.

  Mr. Finch noticed Euclid sitting at attention looking down the driveway where Tara had parked her car. “I wonder how Miss Tara hurt her wrist?” He slowly turned his eyes to the sisters.

  “I was wondering the very same thing,” Angie told him, her eyes dark with suspicion.

  They all knew this wasn’t the last time they’d be talking to Tara Downey.

  13

  Angie carried a platter of breakfast breads into the dining room and set it on the sideboard. Dr. Mari Streeter sat across the table from Mr. Finch discussing different aspects of physics and each time Angie came into the room with another breakfast item or a pitcher of juice, she picked up on snippets of their conversation … dark matter, dark energy, gravity, time and space, matter and antimatter. Angie’s head spun trying to make sense of the subjects.

  The table was crowded with other B and B guests who occasionally entered the discussion with a question or a comment and for the most part, they all seemed fascinated with the topics being discussed.

  When everyone else had finished their breakfasts and wandered off to their rooms or to tour the town, Mari gave Finch a nod of respect. “You are a very intelligent man, Mr. Finch. I enjoy talking with you. How did you end up in Sweet Cove running a candy shop?”

  Finch was about to take a sip from his teacup, but paused and set it down. “I came to find my brother who was the original owner of the candy store.”

  From high on the China cabinet, Euclid stood up and let out a howl that caused Mari to look up at the animal with an expression of alarm. “What’s wrong with the cat?”

  “Euclid was not fond of my brother,” Finch said matter-of-factly.

  Angie fiddled with the plates and cups on the sideboard listening to the conversation wondering how Mari would take the information Mr. Finch was sharing with her.

  “The cat knew him?” Mari asked.

  “Euclid knows of him and does not approve of the way Thaddeus lived his life.”

  Mari stared at Finch trying to decide if he was pulling her leg. “Lived? Is your brother dead?”

  “Thaddeus was murdered.”

  Mari’s shoulders went back and her eyes widened in surprise. “Was the murderer apprehended?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’m very sorry about your brother,” Mari told Finch.

  “My brother was a monster. No one deserves to be killed, but honestly, I can’t think of a single person who shed a tear over Thaddeus’s death. I walk with a cane because of what my brother did to me many years ago. I still work at trying to forgive him, but I have not yet achieved that goal. I am an imperfect man.”

  Angie stepped to the table and put her hand on Finch’s shoulder just as Circe entered the room and jumped onto his lap.

  “Mr. Finch came to Sweet Cove to see his brother,” Angie said. “And by doing that, he entered our lives and became part of our family. If there is a more perfect man than Mr. Finch, then I’d like to meet him. There isn’t a kinder or more loving soul in this universe.”

  Circe placed her front paws on Finch’s chest and leaned up trying to lick his cheek.

  With a tear glistening in his eye, Finch reached up and patted Angie’s hand as he stroked the fur of the sweet black cat. “Wonderful things can emerge from despair. As you can see, I am truly blessed.”

  Mari moved her eyes over the two people and the cat and then let out a long breath of air. For a moment, Angie thought the physicist was moved by Mr. Finch’s words and the depth of emotion he’d expressed.

  Mari blinked and leaned back in her chair. “Any news on the murder of my sister and her husband?”

  “The girlfriend of the young man who was found in the blue car is here in Sweet Cove,” Angie said. “Police Chief Martin has talked with her. Her name is Tara Downey. Does the name sound familiar to you?”

  “Not at all.” Mari finished off her coffee. “Does she have any idea who killed her boyfriend?”

  “She doesn’t, no.”

  “Not surprised.” Mari got up and poured another cup of coffee to take upstairs to the library.

  “Dr. Mari has decided to stay in town for another week,” Finch told Angie.

  “I’m getting a lot of work done here.” Mari actually smiled. “It’s actually freeing to be outside of the lab and university settings. The atmosphere here in the mansion is conducive to deep thinking and I’m making good progress on the notes for my latest book. I’ve practically moved into the upstairs library. Maybe I’ll stay here all summer.” Heading for the staircase, the woman said, “You know where to find me.” Glancing at Mr. Finch, she added, “I look forward to talking with you more this evening.”

  When Mari had disappeared upstairs, Angie looked over at Finch. “Do you actually understand the things you’re talking about with her?”

  “I read some of the books she suggested. I find the topics fascinating.” Finch lowered his voice. “If I hadn’t worked as a psychic for so many years, I would love to have studied physics.”

  “Really? I don’t understand it all.”

  “It’s something like our skills, Miss Angie. Hard to fathom, but nonetheless, real and existent … and quite marvelous.” A broad smile formed over Finch’s face.

  Angie returned the smile. “I don’t understand our skills either. Maybe someday.”

  Finch nodded and asked, “How is the investigation going?”

  Angie sat in the seat next to the older man. “Slow. Two people who are connected to two of the victims seem emotionally absent about their loss.”

  “Mari and Tara Downey?” Finch asked.

  “When Jenna asked Tara if she and Jeremy might have married one day, she looked almost shocked by the question … like she’d never considered the possibility. They’d lived together for more than two years. Marriage must have crossed her mind.”

  “Perhaps she wishes to remain single and never wants to marry,” Finch suggested.

  “I understand that, but the sense I got from Tara was that she would never consider committing to Jeremy.” Angie rested her chin in her hand. “She almost seems indifferent to her loss.” Raising her eyes to the staircase, she said, “Much like Dr. Mari in her attitude towards her murdered sister.”

  “Indifference doesn’t necessarily equal guilt,” Finch reminded Angie.

  “It’s not what I expect from a girlfriend or a sibling though.”

  “Not all relationships are like yours … or mine. We are the lucky ones, Miss Angie.”

  Finches words pinged in Angie’s brain. What he just said was important, she was sure of it. But how?

  “Where is Miss Ellie?” Finch looked down the hallway to the kitchen. “I’ve barely seen her this morning.”

  “She overslept and has been baking and putting the guests’ breakfasts together like a maniac. I stayed to help serve so she could stay in the kitchen. I’d better get to the bake shop before Louisa has my head. She and the other two employees have been handling the early morning customers so I could help Ellie.”

  “And I must get to the candy store or Miss Courtney will fire me.” Finch winked and finished the last of the tea in his cup.

  As Angie was gathering some of the plates from the table to take to the kitchen on her way to the bake shop, the doorbell rang. Mr. Finch went to answer it.

  A woman’s voice spoke from the porch. “Hello, is Courtney or Angela Roseland at home?”

  Mr. Finch glanced to Angie and she nodded.

  The woman entered the foyer and spotted Angie in the dining room. The person looked familiar to her and it took a few seconds to realize she was the receptionist from Dr. Chase and Dr. Streeter’s dental office.

  “I hope you don
’t mind that I came by.” The woman bit her lower lip. “I wanted to talk to you, if you have the time.”

  Angie looked at Mr. Finch. “Would you stop in to the bake shop on the way to the candy store and tell Louisa I’ll be there shortly?”

  “Will do.” Mr. Finch leaned on his cane and hurried away.

  “You have a beautiful home.” The receptionist flicked her eyes about the room and didn’t seem to know what to do with her hands until she shoved them into the pockets of her dress. “I’m Brenda Mills. I don’t think we’ve ever been formally introduced. I want to talk to you about Carlie and Marty. Chief Martin talked to me, but….”

  “You spoke with the chief?” Angie asked.

  Brenda gave a quick nod. “I’m nervous. I’m upset about what happened to them. I mean, of course I am, but….”

  “What is it?” Angie walked over to the woman.

  “I’ve been on edge the past month.”

  “Did something happen to make you feel worried?” Angie watched Brenda’s face.

  “Nothing really. Maybe I’m making something out of nothing.”

  “Did you share your concerns with Chief Martin?” Angie asked.

  “Not really. I was afraid he’d think I was silly. I overheard someone say that you and your sisters sometimes help the police.” Brenda’s cheeks flushed red.

  Angie’s heart started to pound. “Who told you that?”

  “I heard someone in the market.” Brenda’s eyes widened as a worried expression showed on her face. “Was the person wrong? Oh, maybe I’m….”

  “It’s okay. My sisters and I have some experience working with the police.” Angie didn’t go into detail and she hoped Brenda wouldn’t ask any questions about it. “I’m happy to talk with you. Why don’t we go sit in the sunroom?”

  Brenda followed Angie out of the foyer and through the living room, and when they were about to enter the sunroom, she said softly, “I was so afraid something was going to happen to Carlie and Marty. And then it did.”